THE PRIME MINISTER

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 131, 30 November 1926, Page 9

THE PRIME MINISTER

ARRIVAL IN LONDON

A FLATTERING RECEPTION

BUSY TIME ON THE VOYAGE.

iFrotn Our Own Correspondent.)

LONDON, 20th October.

It was a wet ana foggy afternoon when Mr. Coates and his party arrived in London. Ho was timed to get to Waterloo Station at 3.45 p.m., but some delay occurred on account of tho tide, and when those who went to welcome tho Prime Minister arrived at the station they found they had an hour and a quartor to wait. To some it was a great disappointment, for other engagements called them away, but the majority either waked until 5 o'clock or returned again it that time. When at last the train arrived there must have been quite a hundred New Zealanders on the platform. Sir James and Lady Panhad motored down to Southampton, and Sir Francis Bell had gone down by train to meet the party. Mr. Baldwin was representod by Colonel de Satge, Sir Charles Davis represented Mr. Amery, and Mr. E. J. Harding the Dominions Office. SCORES OF HAND SHAKES. When the train drew up at the platform Mr. Coates was quickly out of his carriage, coatless and hatless, though the carriage had halted outside the station cover and rain was coming down steadily. Throe cheers wore enthusiastically given by tli: crowd that surged round the Prime Minister, and the familiar welcome "Haere mai" was heard. There were a score of hurried hand shakes, and then everyone moved further up the platform under cover of the station dome. Here Mr. Coates was introduced to the British Government representatives and received the mesaages from Mr. Baldwin and Mr. Amery. Mrs. Coates carried a beautiful bouquet oE flowers. . She was met by her father, Mr. Walter Coles, and by her sister, Mrs. John Gibbs. A flashlight photographl'was taken of Mr. and Mrs. Coates and then tho welcomes continued. There were scores of people who wished to shake hands with the visitors, and it was almost half an hour before they were all in their cars and bound for the Hotel Cecil. As soon as he arrived in his rooms Mr. Coates gave an interview to a number of Press representatives. Jo spoke of inter-Imperial trade, which, ho said, had been materially advanced, firstly, throrjh the influence of the Wpmbley Exhibition; and, secondly, through the Empire spirit which is gradually permeating Britain and the Dominions. He believed that the deliberations of the Conference would be greatly assisted by the mass of material and recommendations which the Imperial Economic Committee had made available. QUICKER SEA TRANSPORT. "We are still in quest of improved sea communications," said Mr. Coates. "Something has been done to speed up connections between New Zealand and the Mother Country, but it j necessarily of the greatest importance to New Zealand that she e'ould be brought as close as possible to Britain." " Tho Prime Minister went on to speak of the repatriation of soldiers and the Inntl settlement schemes, of immigra■;>n, and of the subject of British films. .'nv Zealand, he said, Was, if anyilinig, more British 'can any o\uer Dominion, and there was a great future for British films in the country. Thore was at present a quota of 13.1 per cent. in the country, and they could take many more. Mr. Coates hoped to visit the battle fronts in Trance with which was so familiar, and he had many French friends whom he hoped to thank personally, while he had many messages from others who had served j-i the New Zealand forces. He said that all the people of New Zealand were delighted at the idea of a visit from the Duke and Duchess of York, and they would be sure of a hearty welcome. BUSY TIME ON THE IBIP. The voyage across America was natually a hurried one, but Mr. Coates made time to keep a number of engagements. He visited Kansas City and Chicago, and at the latter cit/ he was taken through the large railway works. As_ an ex-Minister of Eailways, the Prime Minister was greatly interested in these. The pai' arrived at Washington on Thursday, 7th October, and went to the New Willard Hotel, where the late Mr. Massey stayed when last he came over to England. As a compliment to the New Zealand Prime Minister, the management of the hotel had l.oisted the Union Jack over the hotel. Mr. Coates was met at the station by the Charge d'Affairs at the Embassy, the British Ambassador being in London. Within an ho-.- of his arrival the Premier had changed his clothes and was at White House for an audience with the President of the United States. Mrs. Coates.in the meantime was entertained by Mrs. Coolidge Mr and Mrs. Coates and Mr. F. D. Thomson lunched at the British Embassy, and in. tho afternoon they wero driven in the Embassy cars to see the Capitol, tho Rational Monuments to W- 3hington and to Lincoln, the birthplace of Washington, and the other principal sights of the city. In the evening they were the guests of tho Military Attache at tho Embassy. Next morning the party loft for Now York, where they arrived in the afternoon and stayed at the Pennsylvania Hotel, the largest "in the world. Mr. Coates immediately received a number of callers, principally New Zealanders rosident in New York, and gave inierviews to pressmen. Tho following morning at 10 o'clock the party wero on tho Majestic and setting sail for England. It was a pleasant voyage throughout. The Prime Minister and his staff were hard at work, and by the :ime they arrived at Southampton all the preparatory work for the Imperial Conference, so far as it was possible, was complete. Every morning before breakfast- Mr. Coates and his staff spent some time in the gymnasium and afterwards in the swimming pool, and they landed in thoroughly fit condition for the heavy work before them during their stay in England, FIKST DAY IN LONDON. Shortly after the Prime Minister arrived in London at tho Hotel Cecil he received a deputation from the International Press Congress. It was headed by Mr. Eobert Bell (tho recent-ly-elected president), who was accompanied by Dr. W.. Williams (Chair of Journalism, Columbia University, Missouri, and president at tho recent congress in Geneva), Mr. P. So)' („ vicepresident of the New Zealand Section), Mr. Wallace Odell (secretary and treasurer), Mr. James \ ■ Brown (ex-secre-tary and treasurer and owne; of "The Editor and Publisher," of New York), and by a number of others. The Hon. J. G. Coates and Mrs. Coatet, received tha visitors. An informal talk took place on the likelihood of the next congress assembling in New Zealand in the early autumn of 1920. -The spcakors were Messrs. Bell and Selig and ' ~:m Williams. Tho Prime Minister, in his reply, st.'ited that 1 would \>t happy at any time to welcome to New Zealand any of the members of the congress, either as individuals or as a collective body.